AgVantage FS was granted a special variance on Monday to expand their grain facility in Chapin, but it didn’t come without staunch criticism from a group of locals angry about the company’s business practices.

A special hearing was held at the Community Resource Center in Hampton to take action on a variance determining whether or not the company could build alongside First Street in Chapin. AgVantage FS’s property is zoned in a heavy industrial area, and special permission is needed when constructing anything within 30 feet of a right-of-way. The meeting was prompted by the company’s plans to expand its facility’s storage capacity and corn drying capabilities in addition to adding an out-bound scale on the south side of its property.

The hearing wasn’t without its fireworks, however. Around a dozen members of the Chapin Coalition for Environmental Friendly Community [sic] (CCEFC) showed up in force to combat the company’s proposal.